Automatic winding attachment for mechanical musical instruments.



E. E. WELTB.

APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 7, 1909.

Patented June 28,1910.-

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

AUTOMATIC WINDING ATTACHMENT FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

E. 'E. WELTE. AUTOMATIC WINDING ATTAGHMENTTOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

A APPLICATION iILED JAN'J, 1909. 962,871 Patented June 28, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[mum] E. B. WELTE.

AUTOMATIC WINDING ATTACHMENT FOR MIGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 7, 1909.

962,871 v Patented Jime 28,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I fl/ W T -%6%M I E. B. WELTE. I AUTOMAIIG. WINDING ATTACHMENT FOR MEGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN.'], 1909.

' Patented June 28, 1910.

4 sums-sum 4.

enwisejiw emm IEREIBURG, GERMANY, Assrenon TO M.

on NEW YORK,'N. Y., A FIRM.

WE'LTE s; shims,

fAutr MAf'i'ro'wInnING AT ACH ENT FOR MECHANICAL ivrUsIc'AL INsTn- MEu'rs'. I

men.

. Application filed January 7, 1909; Serial No. 471,133.

T 0 all-whom it may concern:

Be it 'lfllt'HVlP-tllflt I, EDWIN E. TELTE, a citizen t' tlie'E11 .ipi1'e of Germany, residing in Freih'urg; iii-the Grand Duchy of Baden, in said IZmpire-of Germany, have invented certaii-iw new and useful Improvements in rh-it-omatic- Winding Attachments for Mechauical Itlusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

nllhissin vcntion relates to an improved autoi'natic winding attachment for mechanical musical. instrlun'ents, by which a piece of.

music can he played in the regular manner and the perforated music sheet be rewonnd utter .playin g for-inserting a new music-roll, or thatthe same piece of music can be repeat-ally played by automatically rewinding the 1'n 1 isic-slieet,;and replaying'the piece of music;wheneiger itis desired to continue the playing't'or some time without placing a -neuflmus'ic-rollinto the instrument.

In many cases, such as in the playing of orchcstrions in public halls, or the playing of an automatic.-piano, it is desirable to continuethe playing of the mechanical musical instrumentfor some time, without taking out the h iusic.r0ll and placing a new one in the instrument, so that the playing of the piece .of musiccan he kept up without attempt at a .special artistic. performance and varied playingof. the same.

The object oft-his invention is to provide a 11'ic :ln11ii;si1 1 in connection with orchestrions, player-pianosand other mechanical musical instruments, by which one piece of music after anothercan he played and the music rolls removed in the regular. manner, or by which the same piece canhe replayed indefinitely as long as desired; and for this purpose the invention consists of an automatic winding.attachment for mechanical musical instruments by which different pieces of music containedon perforated music-sheets can be played 'one after another, or by which by means of auton'iatically operated :m echanism one and the same piece of music he rewound and replayed for any desired l'11gfh,(if. tiine;as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out inthe claims;

n In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1'- represents a front-elevation of my improved automatic. unwinding and. rewinding' attachment for mechanical 'musical nstruments. Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the same,

the rotating motion ofthe windin -Fig. 3 is a side-elevation, partly-in section on line 3, 3, Fig. 1, of the automatically o erated unwinding and rewinding attachment for the music-roll, shown in position for playing onepiece' at a time, Fig. 4. is a vertical transverse section on line's, 4, Fig;

Specification of Letters Patent, 'Jui i 28, 1 910 1, Fig. a detail side-elevatioiiof the unwinding and rewinr'lingiattachmc t-l'or automatically replaying succcssi same. piece of music'represented by roll, and Fig; (3 is avert 4 tion on line 6, 0, Fig. 5.

similar letters of reference nulicate :cor}: responding parts throughout the seij'erarlafigures. I

ical transner'sr sce- L of the well-known construction, theclran-fiO nels of which are connected by flexible tubes t with the pneumatic valve-actions hi '1 which the different instruments of an m chestrion, keys or actions of a player piano Referring to the drawings, a represei-its'aorgan or other mechanical" musical ins-true inent, arc actuated. The perforated music sheet. is then passed around the winding-up roll 0, and attached to a hook it on the same by means of an eye 71 at the ingoing or. starting end of the. music-sheet, as shown in Fig. 2.

he winding-up roll 0 is preferably made of larger diameter than the music-roll k1, so as to permit the winding-up of the entire perforated inusic-sheet ou' thesame without a large numberof windings. 'Tlic' windingup roll 0 is provided at a suitahlepoint on its circumference with a recess (1 which serves in connection witha pivoted stop-lever for arresting the mnriuding motion whei-rever the music slieet is unwon'nd'frbni the music-roll. The stop-lever c? is made-of bell-crank shape and actuated bya'. spring so that its angular end a enters iiito'the' recess and slides along the inclined portion of the same up to a straight-shoulder r:''' at the end of the recess so asfito arrest -up roll 1'. The arresting-motion can only-h accom'e plished when the entire music-sheet is unspring cushioned shawound from the winding-up roll, so that the" recess a. is not covered by the music-sheet and permits the entering of the pivoted and spring-actuated stop-lever into the same.-

I Between the lnusic-roll-a and the windingup roll c is arranged the tracker if in the usual'manner. The right-hand bearing a of the music-roll is tprovided with a short v t f" on which mounted a pinion j, which meshes with a gear that is supported on a stud shaft f of'the right-hand'upright standard I). On

which is supported at th plate d that is hinged to the bracket-plate d and held normally above the mercury-cup the shaft of the winding-up roll a is mountin Figs. 3 and 5.- The spring 5 also serves to hold the pinion outoflenga ement with either of. the ear-wheels when the spring engages in thenotch in the lower end of the lever i. y a The power-bellows of the mechanical musical instrumentis driven by an'electrice motor which .is arran 'ed in any suitable position in thecase of t e instrument.

For starting themotor, a mercury switch at is'used, which is clearly shown 'in Figs. 1 and 3, and which consists of a mercurycup (I which is supported on a suitable bracket-plate d and of a latinum-point (Z d end of a second by a Hat spring d acting-on the second plate .(P. To" the second plate cl is attached an arm (1 which extends over the platinumpoint into the path ofa spring-actuated lever e whichis pivotedat its upper end to the right-hand standard b', and which is provided with a recessed lower end e that serves to on age the end of the arm (1 and hold the platinum contact-point of-the switch in lowered position in the mercury of the cup when the switch is closed:- \Vhcn a musicroll is inserted intoits bearings, and the playing of the instrument .is to be'started, the lower end of 'thefulcrumed pinion-car- Tying lever 2' is moved by a lever-rod a", connected with the lower part of the lever z',

in forward direction so that its pinion i is placed into mesh with the gear-wheel g. The switch-arm d is then manually de pressed so that 'the platinum-point d is inserted into the mercury and the switch closed. The su porting plates for the mercurycup and p atinum-point are connected interposed a fulcrumed the by comlucting-wireswvith the electric'rnoton. 'When the motor is set in motion, it operates the power-bellows and a pneumatic niotor.M is driven thereby, the crank-shaftof the motor M being coupled by a universal-joint connection i with the intermediate shaft 7' in turn connected by the universal-joint eonncction i with the shaft i of the pinion 2' sons to rotate the latter and the winding up rollbythe gear-wheel g in mesh with the pinion vi2 By the motionof-the windingup roll, the music-sheet is gradually unwound from the music-roll a and wound on thewinding-up roll, so as to play thepieee of musicin the well-1mm 'n '1nanner. \Vhile the instrument is playing, the switch is held in closed position by the shoulder of the lever e, engaging the arm (1, as shown in Fig. 3, the playing being continued as long as the switch is held in closed position. When the perforated music-sheet is nearly at-its end on tlNB lIIUSlC-I'Oll, an opening in the same actuatFs-a pneumatic 13 the collapse-of which actuates a horizontal rod p that is connected with the lower end of the changcdever i, so as to more the latter on its fulcrum and shift the pinion 21' over into mesh with the gear-wheel f The rotation of the gear-wheel f tllldpllllfil] f'turns the music-roll a in opposite direction a'ndunwinds the music-sheet from the -winding-up roll-and rewinds it on the music-roll a.

'hen the music-sheet is-en-tirely unwound from the winding-up roll 0, the stop-lever c enters into the recess 0 of the roll 0, and arrests the latter'by the contactof the end 0* .of its upper arln with the shoulder 0". The stop-lever c is thereby turned on its fulcrum so that the end of its lower arm engages a lu'g'n at the rear-end of a fulcrumed lever '11, which extends alongside of the windingmp. roll 0 and through an opening 0 in the side-wall b to theoutside of the same so as to strike against a lever-arm m which ispivotcd at its lower end to the sidewall and connected at its upper end with a slotted portion m of a pusher-rod m. The pusher-rod m pushes the pivot-lever a sldew ise against the tension of its spring 6 and releases'the switch-arm d of the switch so as to instantlyopen the same and interrupt the motion of the electric motor and pneumatic motor M. Simultaneously a rod m, connected with the lever m pushes against .a pin m on the change-lever i and moves the pinion z of the latter out of mesh with the gear-wheel f and into mesh with ear-wheel g, ready for the insertion of nother music-roll and the playing of the piece of music on the same on the next closing of the switch;

When several'pieces of music are arranged on one note-sheet,'the latter is provided at the end of the first pieceof music with an opening which "operates, when it passes over bellowsB that on itscollapse ac ti ates thepusher-rod' m which is guided e by whiclithe switclrarni (Z is held in depressed position when the switchis closed.

As soon as the "bellows B is actuated. the

pusher-rod m is moved forward and releases the: pivot-leverefrom"the. switch-arm (.ZF, so thattheplatinum point is raised out of the mercury'and. the switch opened. For play ing the next p'iece on the samemusicsheet,

theswitch has to be closed. again. which is accomplished bydowering the plated so that the platinunnpoint enters into the mercury and closes the switch while the switcharm'kfl is rengaged by the shoulder a of the piyot-lever 6'. The playing of the next piece is then continued as the pinion '5 on' the changelever has not been moved out mesh with the geanwheei JVhenet er'it is desired that the musical ment to play the same piece. in suc ce. ionflfor anydesired length of time, a lever L ,fwhich, is pivoted to a bracket Z of tl'ieside-standard b, is moved sidewise into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.1 and in full lines in Fig. 6. The lever L ,tak es along thepusher-rod m which is guided in a slot of the shank of the lever L so that it is thereby moved out of thefplane ofithepii'ot-lever c for clearing the same.

dflhe pivotderer L is arrested by a fixed stop-"pin l which is supported on a bracket Z on the side-standard b. The lever L preventsfihe pivot-leyer e from being released bythepusher-rod m from the arm (I which keeps thereby the switch in closed position The switch being closed, the change-lever i is moved backward by the rod 2' so'that the pinion i is placed in ,mesh with the gear wheel The piece of music on the musicferr'ed-to tlzewvindingmp roll 0. An openin'g in the music-sheet and a tracker channel produces the collapse of the bellows B and the shifting of the change-lever i so that the pinion i is placed in mesh with the gearwheel '1". Sin'iultaneously therewith the bellows B isactuated by another opening 111 the n usicisheet and the pusher-rod m actuated,

but. as it passes sidewise of the pivot-lever The intermeshing of the pinion '1" with the gear-wheel f produces thequick rewinding of the musicesheet on the music-roll (i by the gearwheel f and pinion 7' until it is entirely unwound frmnthe winding-up roll 6'. The stop-lever drops then by its end 1* into the recess and arrests the motion'of the winding-n1"), roll r-by its contact with the shoulder The'lower arm oi" the stoplevcr r-'-' then actuatcsthe fulcrumed lever '11 which latter pushes by itsouter end the pulling forward of therodz' ,pivobarm m over so that the rod m pushes by contact with the pin 'm/ the change-lever z trom its position in mesh withthe gear wheel 7, shown inFigm't';v into mesh with the gear-wheel g, shown in Fig. 5 so-thatut-he winding-up roll is rotated, the music-sheet- Wound up on the same and the same piece of music played overagain.

After the piece of music is played,- the rewinding on the music-roll a andthe replaying of the same is repeated by the automatic operation of the parts as before described and so on as long as it is desired to keep up the playing of the 5111116 piece of music. As the lever e is not moved away from the sWitch-armd", the switch held in closed position, so that the motor continues to rotate the pinion 2' and keep the winding-np roll and the music roll alternately'ir rotary motionuntil the playing of the instrument is to be discontinued by returning the hand-lever L into vertical position,

whereby the switch is opened at the end of the rewinding motion of the musiosheet on the n1usic-roll.- By the simple shifting of the hand-lever L, the musical instrument can be played either in t-he'ordinary manner one piece after another by inserting a new roll playing the piece of music on the same, rewinding the music-sheet onthe music-roll, removing the same, placing a new music-roll in position, playing the next piece '01: music, rewinding the music-sheet on the music-roll and so on,"opening the switch after the play--v ing of a piece of music by the automatic action of the bellows B, B and restarting the motion by the closingof-the sw'itchand I Then "the successive replaying of the same piece of mu-' ing of the change-lower whereby its pinion is placed. alternately 111 mesh with the gear 'wheelvof the winding-up roll. or the rewinding gear of the music-roll. so that the same piece of music is played over again, as long as desired. t

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: v

1, The combination with a music-roll-and a'winding-up roll, of an engaging mechanism adapted to rotate either the music roll or the Winding-up roll, a motor for imparting motion to the engaging mechanism, air 0perated means for automatically shifting the' engaging mechanism from operative relation with the winding-up roll to'opera-ti'vc relation with the music-roll when the musicroll unwound, additional air operated means or stopping the motor when the row sieshee roll and manually operated means for movthe additional air operated mechanical us into inoperative position.

m 1H The CQIDlJlHntion with a music-roll and a Wintlingaip roll for the music-sheet,.en-

gaging mechanism for imparting positive" motion to the wimling-np roll or the n'nisieroll, electric ineans for imparting continuous rotary motion to said engaging mechanism, a normally open electric-switch for starting or vting tilts J'hotion imparting means, releasable" means for holding .the' electric switch in closed position, switch opening means permit the switch to open, a lever for moving the switch-opening means into inopera-' tive position, means for automatically moving the engaging mechanism into operative relation with the nmsmmoll for rewinding the nmsio-sheet after it is played, and means for automatically moving the eng g l I b lnoolmnisl'n into operative relat on Wllil'lhllfi windhig-up roll so as'to permit the auto-' h ng Said switch in closet positioinineans for shifting the ehangedever from position in mesh with the driving-means of the winding up roll to a position in mesh with the driving means of the music-roll, means for reversing the position of the change-lever, means, for automatically removing the switoh'holding lever to release said switch, and a hand lever for moving the lever movinn means not of operative engagement with the switch holding lever for automatically successively repeating the playing of the same piece of music. i

t. The combination with a mus1o-roll and winding-uproll, of a gear-wheel transmission for rotating the music-rol1and a gearwheel for rotating the winding-up roll, a

fnlcrunied changedever provided with a pinion adapted .to he moved into engagement with the driving gears of either the Winding. up roll or music roll, means for imparting driving motion to the pinion of the changelei'er, means for shifting the driving pinion into engagement with the gearm heel of the winding'up roll or the gear-Wheel ofthe music-roll. so as to prodi'lce the. Winding up of the n'iusic-shoet on the windingup roll or the rewinding of the same on the musio-' is unwound from the Winding-up For moving the releasable means to p for returning the chan e-leveri from engagement with the gear-whee; of the roll. means in usio-roll into engagement with the gear ofl, a switch for controlllng the dr1 ving means, a switch-levei for holding the winding-up to the switeh in closed position, means for'autoi'natlcally releasing the switch-lever from placing the releasing means of the switoh-lever ont of operative relation with the same, a'stop llever for the windingup roll, and meansinterposed hetwcen the stopdever and the elrange-lever for shifting the change-lever to cause the pinion to more from the gear of the windring np roll into mesh with th'e gear of the Illusion-oil.

The 'con'ihination' with a music-roll and means for rotating the same, and a windingup means for rotating the same, of engaging means adapted to, engage the means for rotating the music-roll or the means for rotating the windingup 1'o1l,'a motor to i1npart motion-to said engaging means, changing means for moving the engaging means from engagen'ient with one to the other of the means for i'oiatingthe music-roll or the means for rotating the Winding-up roll, automatic means for shifting said changingmeans to sense said engaging means to 11love from engagement with the means for rotz'lting the winding-up roll when the musicsheet is nearly unwound therefrom,- into ongagement with the means for rotating the music roll, automatic means for causing I "said changing means tomove said engaging"- means from engagement with the? means for rotating the music-roll intoengagenient wlth the means for rotating'thla Windingmp roll when the music-sheet is. nearlytmwouncl from the winding- 11p roll, means for automatically stopping the motor when the music is nearly unwound from'the. inding-- up roll, and means for moving said last' named means into inoperatia e position? G. The combination, with the music-roll and the winding-hp roll, of an engaging means adapted to rotate-either of said rolls,

a motor for operatingthe engaging means,

entirely mechanical means operated bv the; windingup roll for changing the engaging means from operative relation, with the music r'oll when the sheet of music is unwound from the winding-up ro1l,'.releasing means operated by said mechanical means for automatic-ally stopping said motor, airoperated means also adapted to operate said releasing means, and manually operated means for renderingsald releasing means inoperative. p

' 7. The combination, with the music-roll and the winding-up roll, of engaging means adapted to'rotate either of said rolls, a motor a for rotating said engaging means. a pivoted change lever carrying said engaging means, a levhflrod having a handle for shifting said change lever in either direction, a bellows, .a link connecting said bellows and said change lever for shifting said change lever to cause said engaging means to operate said music.-

roll, and automatic means for -shifting said' change lever to c'ause said engaging means to operate sald W1nd1ngup roll.

S. The combination, with the music-roll and the Winding-up. roll, of engaging means adapted to rotate either of said rolls, a motor for rotating said engaging means, a pivoted change lever carrying said engaging means,

a leverrod having fa handle for shifting said change lever in either direction, a b'ellows, a link connecting-said bellows and lever to'c'ause said engagingmeans to operate said music-roll, means for automatically stopping the motor, and manually operated means for rendering said last-named means inoperative. a

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name in- I l -15 said'change lever for shiftlng'sai'd change 

